1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of industrial planning and execution systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods, devices and systems for splitting an integrated manufacturing and distribution plan into separate distribution and manufacturing plans usable by separate distribution and manufacturing execution computer systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many large enterprises operate a number of manufacturing facilities, often scattered across different countries or geographical areas. These manufacturing facilities may be independent of one another or may depend upon one another for a supply of intermediate product to be consumed in the production of finished goods. Manufacturing and distribution plans define and coordinate manufacturing and distribution activities for such enterprises over a specified period of time. The manufacturing and distribution planning information may be stored in separate databases, and the distribution execution system may be substantially or wholly independent of the manufacturing execution system.
Effective coordination of the operations of the manufacturing and distribution execution systems may require an integrated manufacturing and distribution plan. Such an integrated manufacturing and distribution plan, however, may not be effective to direct the activities of the separate manufacturing and distribution execution systems, each operating upon the separate manufacturing and distribution databases. This may be because the existence, location, capabilities and other characteristics of the manufacturing facilities (hereafter “plants”) may not be known to the distribution execution system, which only directs inventory distribution events and not manufacturing events. Similarly, the existence, location, capacity and/or other characteristics of the warehouses used to store the finished or intermediate goods (inventory) may not be known to the manufacturing execution system, which only directs manufacturing events (e.g., a transformation of goods from one form to another).
There is, therefore, a need for some means for extracting separate manufacturing and distribution plans from an integrated manufacturing and distribution plan. Moreover, such separated manufacturing and distribution plans should be effective in directing the operations of the manufacturing and distribution execution systems, respectively.